Ticket separating and counting machine.



No. 886,793. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908. W. A. GIBBS.

TICKET SEPARATING AND COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 1907.

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' W. A. GIBBS.

TICKET SBPARATING AND COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14 1907.

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APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14,1907.

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7 6 ad'ayggg- No. 886,793. PATBNTED MAY 5, 1908.

W. A. GIBBS.

TICKET SBPARATING AND COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14,1907. 7 sHEBTs-SHBET 4,

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h INVEN'II'OR 6 m No. 886,793. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

w. A. GIBBS.

TICKET SEPARATING AND COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14,1907.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

FHlEi- WITNESSES:

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No. 886,793. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908. W. A. GIBBS. TICKET SBPARATING AND COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 4 1 JAN 1 907 7 SHEETS-SHEET B.

INVENTOR is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 12 is a WALTER A. GIBBS, OF NEWARK, OHIO.

TICKET SEPARATING AND COUNTING MACHINE..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Application filed. January 14, 1907. Serial No. 362,271.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER A. GIBBS, residin at Newark, in the count of Lickin and tate of Ohio, acitizen the Unite States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Ticket.

Separating and Counting Machines, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain further improvements in the class of machines for separating tickets described and claimed in Letters-Patent No. 806,969, granted tome December 12th, 1905, and in addition to other features of improvement,

the invention has for its ob'ect the prevention of such a movement 0 more than one ticketat a time as will effect the operation of a counting device and the se aration of different kinds of tickets, and t ieir delivery to different places or receptacles.

The invention is hereinafter more fully de-.

scribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a top plan view; Fig. 4 is a sectional lan, the lane of section being indicated by t 1e line IV Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on a plane indicated by the line V-V Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a plan view showing on an enlarged scale, the separator and the mechanism for removing the ticket from the pick u Fig. 7is a side elevation on an enlarger scale of the ticket removing mechanism; Fig. 8 illustrates a construction for discharging tickets from the removing mechanism; Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view showing the ticket removing mechanism and the separator employed as a selector and its operating mechanism; Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of the selector; Fig. 11

sectional elevation of the ticket receiver; Figs. 13 and 14 are sectional elevations of mechanism for preventing tickets adhering one to the other and being lifted by the ickup; Fig. '15is a sectional detached view s owing a form of mechanism for dischargin tickets from the removing mechanism and Fig. 16 shows a sectional and a plan view of the exhaust nozzle.

In the practice of my invention, the tickets to be counted are arranged withina suitable receiver 2, located to one side of the plane or path of movement of the mechanism employed for removing the tickets from the pick-up or mechanism used for taking one ticket at a time from the stack or ile. It is preferred that this receiver 2 shou d be constructed as regards its front wall with doors 3 hin ed to the sides of the receiver so as to fac' itate the insertion of the tickets. It is preferred that the doors should not completely close the front wall, but should leave a slot through which the movement of the tickets in the receiver and the operation of the stack-shifting device can be inspected.

The tickets are arranged upon a movable head 4 and constant feeding pressure is applied to said head so as to bring the tickets at the opposite end of the stack into operative relation to-the pick-up mechanism. In the construction shown, this constant feeding pressure is ap lied bymeans of weights 5 connected by exible cords 6 to ears or lugs 7 projecting through slots in the side walls of the receiver. The movement of the head 4 is controlled by means of a suitable clutch mechanism operated by pick-u device so as to limit the movement of the ead and the tickets. A suitable construction to this end is shown in Fi s. 1 and 12, and consists of a lever 8, provi ed withan openin through which passes a rod 9, connected to t e head 4. This opening in the lever is of such diameter as to permit the rod to pass freely through the same when the lever is depressed, but t e walls thereof will engage and grip the rod when the lever, is shifted to the position shown -in Fig. 12. This lever is normally held in position to grip rod 9 by means of a spring 10.

In order to release the rod and ermit the movement of the head 4 to shift t e stack of tickets towards the ick-up device, the lever 8 extends beyond t e side of' the receiving box and is adapted to be shifted by means of a rod 11 connected to the pick-up device which will be hereinafter described. As two tickets may adhere one to the other when the upper one is bein lifted by the pick-up device, I employ mu tiple separators preferably consisting of brushes 12 which are pressed into the path of the movement of the tickets when lifted by the pick-up device by means of springs 13. The edges of a ticket or tick- While I consider any suitable formor conchine.

struction of mechanism whereby the tickets may be lifted from the receiver as within the terms of the broad claims herein, it is generally referred to employ what for convenience i would term an exhaust nozzle, to which a reciprocating movement is imparted as hereinafter described. By reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 5 it will be seen that a sleeve 14.

is movably mounted u on a tube 15 connected to pi e 16 lea 'ng to an exhaust mechanism 0 any suitable form or construction. To this sleeve 14 is secured a nozzle 17 whose internal dimensions are less than the area of the ticket to be lifted. As the tickets to be s'e arated and counted are frequently unche it is referred that a multiple exaust nozzle s ould be em loyed, such for example as that shown in Fig. 16 in which the lower end of the nozzle 17 is closed except for perforations 18, which are so arranged that they will not come into alinement with any unches or holes in the tickets to be lifte so that the latter when in contact with the end of thenozzle will form a practicall hermetic seal as against the inflow of air. It

.is preferred to employ a tubular strip er 19 surrounding the lower end of the nozz e and held in position by arms 20 secured to the frame of the machine. The movement of the sleeve 14 along its supporting tube 15 is effected by means'of an arm 21 secured at one end to the sleeve 14 and at the opposite end to a cross head 22, moving up and down in guides 23 secured to the frame of the ma- The movement of this cross-head is effected by means of a crank 24 on the main shaft of the machine and connected by a pitman 25 to the cross head 22.

As heretofore stated, the pipe 16 is connected to a suitable exhaust mechanism preferably constantly operating. In order to maintain this constant exhaust, a check valve is arranged in the line of pipe between the pick-up nozzle and the exhaust mechanism, such check valve being preferably formed by a ball 26 adapted to be shifted by pressure of air entering through the nozzle against a set 27. The ball is held in operative proximity to its seat by means of a cage 28.

This check valve does not completely prevent the flow of air towards the exhaust mechanism but is so constructed as to allow a small flow of air entering through the nozzle so that when a ticket closes the nozzle, a vacuum will be instantly formed to a greater or less extent in the portion of the picku device between the nozzle and the chec valve. As heretofore stated, the rod 11 bed of the machine.

gage a projection 36 of the whereby the clutch holding the head 4 is operated, is connected to the sleeve 14 and is so constructed and proportioned relative to the movement of the sleeve and nozzle 17 that just as the nozzle reaches the lower limit of its movement or slightly in advance thereof, the rod 11 will shift the lever 8 releasing the clutch and ermitting the stack of tickets to be pressed f drward so as to press the topmost one firmly against the lower end of the nozzle.

It will be understood of course that the clutch and its operating rod 11 may be so constructed that the stack of tickets will be pressed up as the nozzle raises, so as to bring the topmost ticket into position to cont-act with the-lower end of the nozzle when the latter moves down on its next stroke. By

the upward movement of the nozzle, the top.

back and forth in suitable guides 30 on the At its forward end this carriage is provided with a series'of prongs 31 adapted to pass immediately below a ticket adhering to the lower end of the tubular stripper. The ticket is held against these prongs 31 by means of a series of spring fingers 32 carried 'by a head 33 pivotally. mounted upon the carriage 29. This head 33 with its fingers is operated on by a spring 34 in such direction as' to tend to throw the fingers down towards the prongs 31, but this movement is prevented until the proper time by means of a spring dog 35 pivotally mounted on the carriage in such osition as to enliead and prevent the latter being shifted by the spring 34. This spring dog engages the projection 36 during the movement of the carriage towards the exhaust nozzle and until the prongs 31 pass under the ticket and the fingers 32 are in position above the ticket. As the carriage reaches the forward limit of its movement the dog 35 will strike against a stop 37,

ticket held between the prongs 31 and fingers 32, moves backward, a curved tail piece 39 will pass under a deflecting plate 40 secured to the frame of the machine, thereb raising fingers 32 away from the prongs an permitting the discharge of the ticket off of the latter. The movement of the ticket off of the latter can be effected in several ways, as for example, as shown in Fig. 5 a series of ,pins41 are so iar'ranged'in the bed of the mounted on the bed 0 the machine 1n suc they are being removed from the nozzle, and

'to turn and thereby drop edgewise may .be

machine that as the carriage moves back, the

ticket after the fingers 32 have been raised, will strike against the pins 41, and on the further; movement of the carriage will force the ticket off of the prongs; It is desirable that as the ticket leaves the prongs it shall move edgewisedown through the opening in the table so as to get quickly out of the way l of the carriage on its return movement. This edgewise movement may be imparted to the ticket bymeans of a striker 42 carried by the sleeve 14 and so arranged as to strike the front edge of the ticket as it is being shifted ofi of the fingers by the pins 41. a A tendency given to the ticket by inclining the upper surfaces of the prongsfil and giving a' down ward. bend or curve to one or more of the fingers 32 as shown in Fig. 15; In this construction as only the rear por tion oredg'e of the ticket is gripped by prongs and fingers, the front portion will overhang and. when the ticket. is shoved off the prongs, such overhanging portion will tend to turn the ticket, so that li/Wlll dro edgewise through the opening in the ta le. This turning and downward movement may be insured by means of a blast of air entering through the nozzle43, which is so arrangedwith reference to the movement of the carriage that the blast of air, will strike the ticket as it is released from the prongsand fingers am being shoved off by the pins,41.

Another construction is-shown in Fig. 8,. in which angular sto s 41 are piyotally position relative .to the movement of the table 29, that as the fingers 32 are raised the stops will engage the edge of the ticket, and push them off the prongs 31. At the same time the shaft 90 carrying the sto s 41 will be rotated so that the stops wi-l turn the ticket edgewise as it passes off of the prongs.

The sha 0 is provided with an arm 91 con.- nected ,t rigger 93, so arranged as to be shifted he table 29 as it moves from the nozzle 17.

Some tickets, especially transfers, are so thin as to be liable to be biickled when attached to the nozzle and therefore will not be in position to be caught by the prongs 31 and fingers 32. in pro er position, guard pieces 94 are arrange on each side of thenozzle and in or, approximately in the plane of the lower end 0' the tubular stripper 19, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

As described and shown in the patent above referred to a suitable counting mech anism is employed to count the tickets as this counting mechanism is so constructed that it will not be operated except when a ticket is in position between the prongs and In order to hold the ticket arranged that t fingers. In the construction shown herein the counting device 44' is supported in proper relation to its operating mechanism carried by the carriage 29. This operating mechanism consists of an arm 45 pivotally connected to a rocking head 33 so that such a'rm may move in a vertical plane on the rocking of the head 33 and also may move horizontally as hereinafter described. The arm is held in proper position relative to the head 33 by means of a spring 46. As the carriage moves forward to grip a ticket on the end of. the nozzle 17, the arm 45 will be-deflected to one side against the tension of the spring 46 by means of a deflecting plate 47 secured to the frame of the machine, and as it passes this deflecting plate it will spring to normal position again so that when the head 33 is rocked by its spring 34 to grip a ticket between the fingers 3'2 and prongs 31, the hook or projection on the end of the arm 45 will be brought down to such a position that when the carriage moves back or to the left, this prong or projection will, if a ticket is between the fingers and prongs, engage a star wheel 48 operating the counting device.

The purpose of the deflecting plate 47 is .to

shift the arm 45 so that it will not touch the star wheel during the forward movement of the carriage. If there is no ticket resting on the prongs 31 when the fingers 32 are depressed by their spring, the arm 45 will be thrown down so far that on the return movement of the carriage the projection thereon will pass entirely under the star wheel 48 and not. operate the same.

The carriage 29 is shifted back and forth 51. The cam-49 striking against an arm 52 arm 53.

It frequently happens that two tickets will adhere one to the other when one is being shifted or raised by the exhaust nozzle, and it also sometimes happens that different kindsof tickets become mingled one with the other, or with transfer tickets, and unless means are provided to revent suchoperation, two tickets might e lifted and be carried away by the carriage 2%) and counted as one, or a transfer might be included with the tickets or vice-versa, one being counted for the .other. In order to prevent such irregularities, means are rovided whereby only one ticket can be ta en by the carriage 29, or, if transfers are beingcounted, and anordinary ticket should be in the stack. of'transfers, such ticket would be prevented i'rom passing through the counting device. To this errd I provide a gripping device on the side of the nozzle opposite the carriage 29 which hasits gri ping jaws so constructed and hey move to within a certain predetermined distance of each other, such distance being alittle greater than the thick- 'by means of the-cams 49 and 50 on the shaft ness of a single transfer and a little less than the thickness of two transfers placed together. This selectin mechanism may be constructed in any suitab eform,but that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6 is found well adapted for the purpose, and consistsof a slide 54 arranged to move in suitable uides or ways on the front extension 55 of the table 1 of the machine. On this slide is pivotally mounted an arm 56 having secured thereto a forwardly extending jaw 57 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6. The portions of this jaw and that of the slide 54 forming the other jaw, are so constructed that when the jaw 57 is closed down itwill not contact with the opposite gripping member but there will be a space between the same, a little greater than the thickness of a single transfer but less than the thickness of two transfers, so that in case two transfers have been raised by the exhaust nozzle, they will be firmly grip ed by the jaw 57 and held in position while t e carriage 29 moves backward. The grip of the selecting or separating device on t e tickets being greater than that exerted by the fingers 32 and prongs 31. This separating device may be operated in an suitable manner such for example, as that shown by connecting the arm 56 to a bar or rod 58 movable back and forth in suitable guideways on the frame of the machine. The movement of the slide 54 forward to operative relation to the nozzle 17, is effected positively by means of an arm 59 on the shaft 51, strikingagainst an arm 60 on the rod 58. The return movement of the slide 54 is effected by a spring 61. In the construction shown the movement of the slide 54 and the closing of the jaw 57 are effected by the rod 58 and in order to prevent the jaw closing until the slide has reached the proper position relative to the nozzle 17, a pin 62 is arranged in the under side of the jaw, said pin being adapted to slide along the bed of the machine until the slide 54 reaches the proper position, when the pin will drop through a notch ermitting the jaw to close.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing that a ticket or two tickets having a thickness greater than those which the machine is adjusted to count can never be drawn'away by the carriage 29, but will be always held by the separator, although the machine may continue to operate either until the thick ticket has been'removed, or one of the thin tickets has dropped back into the receiver and only a single ticket is raised by the exhaust nozzle.

As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, my improved separator can be utilized to effect a counting of thick tickets when thick and thin tickets or tickets and transfers are mingled together and placed in the receiver. Such an arrangement or construction is shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. In this construction the slide 54" is mounted as heretofore stated in guides on a front extension of the machine, but is given a greater range of movement than when it is simply ed on a suitable journal to the bed of the machine. This pinion intermeshes 1 with teeth formed along one edge of-the carriage 54. On the carriage 54 is ivotally mounted a jaw 57 a which isshifted to grip a ticket by means of a spring 66. The jaw 57 is normally held open by means of a s ring dog '67 mounted on the carriage 54 an engaging a rear extension of the jaw 57. As the carria'ge moves forward vand comes into operative relation to the ticket held by the nozzle 17, this dog will be shifted by an adjustable stop 68 and the jaw closed, against the opposite jaw, which in this case is formed by the forward end of the carriage 54, b the spring 66. In this form of apparatus the grip ing mechanism of'the slide 29, consisting o the prongs 31 and fingers '32,- and the gripping mechanism of the carriage 54 are so relatively-constructed that one, as for example the prongs and fingers on-carriage 29, will grip thin tickets while the .jaws 57 and its opposing member will grasp or hold the thicker tickets, and to this end these 'aws on the slide 54 are so constructed that t ey will not close entirel but there will always be a s ace between tliem a little greater than the t ickness of the thin tickets. A suitable counting mechanism 69 for the tickets removed by the selector is operated by a finger 70 carried by an arm 71 pivotally mounted'on the jaw 57 a and extending into a slot ornotch 72 in jaw 57 The inner end of this arm 71 is pressed downward by a spring 73 on a lever 74, pivotally mounted in the slot 72, and having its free end constructed and arranged to rest upon a ticket ,when the same is gripped by the jaw 57. When no ticket has been gripped by these jaws the free end of the lever 74 will be forced down into a slot in the front end of the slide 54; and so shift the finger 70 that on rearward movement of the slide 54, the finger 70 will not engage the star'wheel 75 of the counting mechanism, and no register will be made. In order to raise the'jaw 57 on the backward movement of the carriage, it is provided with a lateral extension 76 which asses under a deflecting plate 77 on the bed of the machine, thereb depressing the tail end of the jaw 57 until it has been caught by the spring dog 57. In order to push the ticket off from the slide '54 after the opening of the jaws, a pin or pins 78 tickets being presented to the transfer mechanism, I provide within the exhaust nozzle a rod 79 having at its lower end a in 80. This rod is arranged'within a tube he d within the sleeve 14 and ipe 15 by spiders 81 as shown in Figs. 13 an 14. The rod is designed to be moved during a ortion of the movement of the sleeve 14 an nozzle 17 and to this end a pin 82 is secured to the sleeve and projects through a slot in the pipe 15 so as to engage stops 83 on the rod 7 9 As the sleeve, is

moved downward to bring the exhaust nozzle against a ticket, the rod will also be moved down a certain distance by the pin 82, and as the nozzle is drawn up the 'tloket will be drawn against the pin 80 puncturing'the same, and if another adheres'to the under side of the first ticket, will press the same away so that'it will drop'back into the re .ceiver. The parts are so constructed that the pin 80 wil not pass entirely through the second ticket but as it sto 83 so that t ereafter the rod and nozzle wilFmove together.

I claim herein as my inventionr 1. A machine. for separating tickets, etc, having in combination a ticket holder, means for engaging and removing tickets from the.

holder, -means for engaging and transferring meansfor preve'ntingthe trans er. l 2. A machinefor separating ickets, etc.,

having in combination a ticket holder, means for engagin .and removing tickets, from the holder, mec anism.forengaging 'and trans-' ferring' tickets of one class or kmdfrom the and removing means, and separate mechanism for removmg ticketsof another class or kind from the removing means.

3. A machine for separatinghtickets, etc,-

et older, means having in combination a tick for removing tickets from the holder, 0. plurali ty of sets of ticket 'Ipping 'aws and means for simultaneously s ifting. 0th sets of jawsbut in op os'ite irection.

- 4.. A machine or separati having in combination a ticket older, means for removin tickets from the holder, aplurality [of ticket transfe mechanisms, means for simultaneousl shi ting said mechanisms 'but in opposite ections and counting mechanisms operated by the transfer mechanisms.-

15311; a machine for separating tickets,

passes through the- 'first ticket, the in 82 will'strike the upper ,means' an j I raise the fingers,

' of tickets means for engaging and removinganother tickets, etc.

etc., the combination of a ticket holder, a

' ratus connected to said nozzle and means for reciprocating the nozzle.

6. ha machine for separating tickets, etc. the combination of a ticket holder, means for lifting tickets one at a time from the holder, a reciprocating carrier for transferring tickets from the, ticket lifter and means for turnin the ticket to edgewise. position as it is dis odged from the carrier.

7. In a machine for separating tickets, etc., the combination of a ticket holder, means for lifti tickets sidewise from the holder, means from the holder and means for preventing a buckling ofthe tickets when'lifted to transferrin position. i

8. n a ticket separating machine, the combination of'a ticket holder, means for lift-. ing tickets from the holder, a reciprocating carrierfor transferring tickets from the lift- 9. In a -machin for iseparati underaticket whenraised from a stac pile, .a rockinghead having fingers for pressmg the tickets onto the prongs, a spring'for shifting the head and fingers, a. tailpiece secured'to theflhead, a stationary deflecting plate adapted to enfia'ge the tail piece to aloe for holding'the fingers in raised position and means for shifting the 1.0. In a ticketcse aratiiig machine? the combination of a tie et holder for holding tickets ofdiiferent classes .orakinds, means.

r transferring the tickets tickets, 'etc., the combination of ,means or lifting tickets from. a stack orpile, a reciprocating 'tableprovided with prongs, adapted to lpass for engagi and removing pne class or kind' omsaid-holder and a separate class of tickets omthe holder."

.11. In a ticket se arat' machine, .the

combination of a tic et ho der, means for 1 separatln'g one class ofjticket's' from another, and means for counting each class or kind of.

ticket, the counting mechanism'being operativeby the separating means.

testimony whereof, lhave hereunto set my hand. p I p WALTER A. GIBBS.

Witnesses; v A

Cinemas Bn'mn'rr, J.|HEBBERT"BBADLEY. 

